Teen guilty of stabbing 15-year-old boy in attempt to steal his bike

An 18-year-old has been found guilty of stabbing another teenager to death in an attempt to steal his bicycle.

The Old Bailey heard 15-year-old Alan Cartwright had been riding along a road in north London when Joshua Williams lashed out, in an attack that was caught on CCTV.

ITV News reporter Peter Smith explains:

The police officer who led the investigation into Alan Cartwright's murder said that it was an "utterly senseless killing" following the conviction of Joshua Williams.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Jones said: "It was an utterly senseless killing. A young man who was 15 lost his life in the blink of an eye over the theft of a peddle cycle.

"I am really pleased the jury decided to reject his [Williams] claim that he wasn't there at the time and then went on to convict him on both matters."

Alan Cartwright's mum has revealed the shock she felt when she first saw the CCTV of her son being murdered on London's streets.

The killing of Alan Cartwright was a "completely unprovoked attack" by Joshua Williams, 18, who has been convicted for murder at the Old Bailey, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Williams was found guilty of murder and one count of robbery.

Alan Cartwright's dad, mum and sister wept in court as the jury delivered its verdict. They attended court every day of the trial as the evidence unfolded.

In a statement read to the court, Alan's mother Michelle Watson told how news of his death came as an "unbelievable shock" as she rushed down to the scene eight months pregnant with her third child.

Williams will be sentenced tomorrow at noon.

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC told the court Alan Cartwright's death made headlines as "another tragic example of the knife crime that blights our society".

At the time of the attack caught on graphic CCTV, Joshua Williams had been on police bail on suspicion of possessing a four-inch lock knife although he was never charged.

On the evening of February 27, Alan was cycling with five friends when Williams and two other youths intercepted them, the trial heard.

Within seven seconds, they stepped out in front of the cyclists and managed to take two bikes before the third robber approached Alan in the road and swung a knife at his chest in a "deliberate and gratuitous" stabbing, Mr Rees said.

Alan Cartwright's family have called for more stop and searches and tougher 10-year mandatory sentences for possessing knives to deter young people.

"It will make people think twice about carrying a knife," his father Alan Cartwright senior, 44, said.

Joshua Williams, 18, has been found guilty at the Old Bailey of stabbing 15-year-old Alan Cartwright to death in an attempt to steal his bicycle.

Williams lashed out with a blade as popular young student Alan Cartwright "innocently" rode along Caledonian Road, north London, with his friends in February.

The defendant claimed to have an alibi but following a trial at the Old Bailey he was convicted of murder and conspiracy to rob.